Eye of the Worlds
by Skypeoplephoenix732
Summary: Many theories exist for the concept of multiple universes, but which ones apply to Sophie? She stumbled into the Inheritance Cycle, but will she ever find her way back? This is a book I started several years ago, and I hope to finish it this time. Rated T just to be safe. Please review!
1. Chapter 1: The Decision

The New World

B

_oom!_ Sophie bolted upright in her bed. She went to look out her window thinking it was thunder, but the previous thunderstorm had already passed.

_Odd, I wonder what it was then,_ Sophie thought. Confused, she started to return to bed but heard the noise again. Sophie spun around and dashed to her closet from which the sound appeared to be coming. She opened the doors, parted some clothes, and gasped at what lay beyond. A small purple spiral was shimmering on the far wall.

Sophie looked behind her to see if anyone was there, but it appeared that not even her dad had heard the large noise. She carefully reached out to touch the mystical imprint, but her hand continued through the wall.

_It must be a portal!_ Sophie realized. _I wonder where it leads._ She walked toward her dresser where she placed her wallet the day before. She took some dollar bills along with several quarters and dimes. She also took some foreign coins from her collection in case she was going to a different country.

Upon returning to her closet, Sophie realized that the spiral had grown larger so that she could now go through it without bending over. She took a deep breath and crossed the mystical threshold, wondering what mysteries would greet her on the other side.

Once through, Sophie found herself at the edge of a meadow surrounded by heavily wooded mountains. She turned to see if the portal had gone anywhere, but it had not. Sophie sighed in relief, hoping she would be able to remember exactly where it was when she wanted to go back to Connecticut. Only then did she notice that the sun was only halfway through the sky, drastically different from home where it had long since gone down.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of Sophie's neck rose, alerting her that she was being watched. She looked up to see a large, black dragon circling above her. His scales shone like onyx, and his wingspan was almost twice as long as his body. The muscles in his arched neck and thick thighs rippled as he descended toward the middle of the meadow. The dragon's spikes gleamed with a glorious ivory color and each had a glint at the tip. His large fangs also glistened, and Sophie realized they were serrated from base to tip. She thought she recognized the magnificent dragon from a book series she had read, but that would be impossible. Then again, she had thought not fifteen minutes ago that portals only existed in fairy tales.

_Could I actually be in a book? Surely not…_ Sophie wondered as she watched the dragon land. She jumped as a kingly rider dismounted. The man looked kind and noble enough, but smelled of blood, torture, and cynical power. His attire reminded her of England's Dark Age: long, purple robes with red and gold accents and a pure gold crown set with jewels upon his head. His hair was long and dark, and the man had a relatively compact body with rippling muscles. Sophie blushed as she realized that her pink pajamas with kittens and balls of fur on them were probably not the most desirable attire for first impressions.

"What is your name, and where have you come from?" the ominous king demanded. Sophie hesitated, wondering how much she should reveal.

A sudden blast of pain in her right temple alerted her that her mind was being probed. Sophie sensed that it was an evil presence and assumed it was the king. Hoping it would work, she focused all her attention on one thing, God, to put a wall around her mind. She immediately felt the presence gone and knew that she was safe.

Obviously annoyed, the king repeated his query. Again, Sophie hesitated, but decided that it could not hurt to tell him something. "My name is Sophie…and I come from a FAR away land where some scholars learn how to mindspeak." She hoped he would not question how they learned since the only way she knew of was reading books with people mindspeaking, but even those were controversial.

At this, the king developed what appeared to be something between a smirk and a genuine smile. "Come with me and you will tell me about yourself and I will tell you how you will help me."

"First of all," Sophie said warily. "I want to know your name."

"King Rancor II, now come with me and my dragon, Sheol," he demanded. If there had been any doubt before, it just became clear; she had entered a book. Rancor was the name of the villain in all three books of a series, which alarmed Sophie even more.

Sophie sensed that she would be forced to go with the man with or without her consent. She considered going back through the portal, but realized that it had already disappeared or moved. Sophie turned back to Rancor and smiled as she adopted a pleasant, but reserved air. She said, "Very well, but I'll warn you that I probably know more about your kingdom than you do." The king seemed unaffected by this obnoxious, arrogant response as he motioned Sophie towards the black dragon and gave her a lift into the hand-made, leather saddle.

A few minutes later, they were soaring through the cloud-dotted skies while Sophie tried not to look down for fear of becoming dizzy and falling off.

"Now, what do you know about my kingdom, and how did you learn it?" the king asked, clearly feigning politeness.

Sophie offered him a shaky smile and told him about three books she had read about this world, the beautiful and primitive landscapes described, and generally where the elves, dragons, riders, dwarves, and other creatures lived across the land. With all his apparent research, though, he failed to mention the true names of any creatures living in Aestavae. Unexpectedly, Rancor did not appear startled by the author's vast knowledge, and Sophie wondered if he had anything to do with the compiling or writing of the books.

"Here we are," Rancor said after several minutes of awkward silence. The castle was the coldest, dampest, and darkest structure Sophie had ever seen. Sheol landed in the courtyard, surrounded by cold, dark walls of stone that cowered high above their heads. Sophie shivered, not just from the cold, but also from mixed anticipation and fear.

Stable boys came and helped them off Sheol, leading the majestic dragon to his room.

"Ahem!" Rancor caught Sophie's attention and led her through a series of hallways, each with a set of doors leading to who knew what kind of horrors. Although, that was not what made her shiver. The tapestries scattered on the walls depicted gory, brutal battle scenes in which man fought against man, dragon against dragon, with Rancor and Sheol depicted as victorious in every one.

Sophie nearly ran into Rancor when he stopped in front of an intricately carved door. "Here you are. Make yourself comfortable; a servant will get you in half an hour," Rancor said. Sophie suspected he was going to have dinner with her, try to seduce her onto his side, and hope that the last unhatched dragon would emerge for her. She carefully surveyed the chilly room around her. There were beautiful tapestries woven with gold, silver, and what resembled bronze and topaz threads depicting meadows and flocks of different birds. A large bed was freshly made and smelled of lavender, reminding her of the detergent her mother used. This brought back memories of home and the lost portal. A lonely tear formed in her eye as she remembered her kind, loving parents and annoying yet funny older sister. These thoughts, however, were quickly replaced by thoughts of her uncertain future.

There was a large tub behind a screen near the fire with piping hot water and rose petals daintily placed in an indiscernible pattern. Sophie quickly slipped out of her pajamas and settled slowly into the hot bath. She immediately felt her sore muscles start to relax after being tortured by the long horse-back ride on Earth and the equally long but more taxing ride on Sheol to Rancor's castle.

In the middle of a large bed, there was a long-sleeved dress that Sophie assumed was for her. The dress was a rich lavender with gold embroidery on it, the bodice of which was tight and the skirt full and reaching to the floor. There were also a new pair of silk slippers of a similar design and a nice pearl net that she attempted to put on, but soon discovered that putting her unruly hair into a bun was nigh impossible.

A few minutes later, Sophie heard a knock on the door and followed a page to the mead hall where the king waited. She breathed deeply, calming herself as she saw the savage feast set before them. There were two places, one on either end of the table, so fortunately no one would be dining with them.

"Ah, I see you found the dress I set out for you," Rancor commented, fishing for a complement. Sophie offered a weak smile and squeaked out a comment about how pretty the dress was.

As Sophie had predicted earlier, King Rancor started his promoting speech that she had already read about in the first book of the series.

Rancor spoke compellingly of his plans to recreate the dragon riders who had formerly been a group of supercilious thieves ruining the country side. They had been arrogant and irresponsible, and would not answer to anyone or anything, for they considered themselves superior to mere mortals. Rancor started describing his new order where many other nations now out of his reach would soon be brought under his control into one, peaceful kingdom ruled by love and happiness. He used what he had learned from her narrative earlier to put forth convincing arguments that would have persuaded anyone who did not know his true intentions. Obviously, Rancor had no clue about the extensive knowledge and abilities Sophie could access since, as a Christian, she had the mind of Christ.

_I can't believe I nearly told Rancor _everything_ I knew instead of just part of it, _Sophie marveled. _I wonder when he's going to lead me to the egg room. Even if he does take me there, though, God will be the only one who could get me out of this mess. _

None too soon, the speech was over and the king led Sophie past several more doors and into a room with four guards posted at the entrance. _Finally! This would explain the two extra guards, _she thought as she saw a single, forest green egg on a pedestal in the middle of the room. There were two other pedestals that were empty on which she presumed Sapira and Astiqua's eggs had sat.

"Touch the stone, and don't move," King Rancor told Sophie coldly with a touch of anticipation. She hesitated, not knowing what to do if the egg hatched for her since the king was sure to make them swear fealty or kill them. She sensed a threat in his voice as he repeated his command, which made her walk slowly toward the egg. Sophie could feel tension begin to mix with excitement and anticipation, drenching the already thick air even before she touched the egg. Ever so slowly, she reached out her hand, inch by inch until she touched it. A shiver of excitement ran down Sophie's spine as the egg began to shake.

_Pop!_ There went a piece of the egg. It stilled for a moment; resuming its shaking, a full row of spines crashed out from the egg. They tore at the shell, renting the egg in two. The room lay still, as if waiting for everyone to realize that the final dragon had just hatched.

The dragon was the same color as its egg had been and its wings were massive compared to its body. That made Sophie realize that it was bigger than the way most books had described a hatchling as being. Its eyes were unnerving, boring into Rancor as they passed around the entire room, taking in the energy of everything.

As its eyes at last fell upon her, Sophie saw that they were the kindest, yet wildest eyes she had ever seen. They were two completely different colors; one eye was a dark-metallic gray and the other ghostly blue. Sophie again reached out to touch the baby dragon, and as she did this her hand was burned! The symbol of the Parno Relaquier, or the Silver hand, was forever burned into her right palm.

_Hello, Sophie. Yes, I can talk, being fully trained in the ways of men by the dragon elders. _The small, but powerful voice resonated deeply inside Sophie's head. She was shocked; she had thought she would have to train this dragon the impossible task of speech.

_Um…Hi! I don't really know what to call you except for Hunter, Isold, or Drecor. Do you like any of those?_ Sophie answered. She held her breath, waiting for the answer she knew would come.

"Ahem! Now you must choose: become my servant or die," demanded the evil king as a slow, sneering grin broke across his face.


	2. Chapter 2: The Escape

Oh, how Sophie hated him. Rancor had given her trouble since the moment they met, which was not too long ago. Suddenly, she had an idea. _Lord, is this yours?_ she prayed. Without really knowing what she was doing, Sophie felt a strong urge to carry out the thought. "Here goes nothing!" she gasped as she collected her new partner into her arms and jumped out the window. The urge to grasp or claw at something to keep from falling was so strong that Sophie could feel her hand moving towards the wall, even though there were no hand holds.

_What have you done? You know I can't support you even if… I… tried?_ The hatchling said with surprise, gradually growing large enough to ride. _How did you know that was going to happen? Never mind, just climb onto my back and we can take a ride on the danger express._

Sophie just shrugged and climbed onto his back. _Which way do you want to go?_

_I think we should head northeast,_ he said. _Now, as for my name, I choose… Drecor_.

_All right then, from now on you shall be DRECOR_, Sophie said dramatically. "I wish I had brought or at least stolen a set of bow and arrows, but I guess for now we'll have to try to avoid the ARROWS THAT ARE COMING RIGHT AT US!" Sophie cried out, forgetting that she could think what she was trying to tell Drecor.

They were finally able to land somewhere northeast of the castle in the general vicinity of a ridiculously small "town". There Sophie got some supplies with the few coins she had managed to gather before coming to this strange world. As soon as she got back to Drecor, she knew something was wrong.

_We have to go, now!_ He said with surprising force, _the enemies are nearby. They are different from the earlier ones, though. They are not human, elf, or even dwarf! They are bat-like creatures with their young, and both are extremely dangerous._

Sophie was shocked; Drecor must have been talking about the deadly Ra'zac and Lethrblaka! _What are we waiting for, let's go! _Sophie exclaimed, knowing that soon dusk would reduce their hopes of escape to almost nothing.

By the time dusk fell, the two were already on their way north again, this time with many supplies, but not too many so that Drecor, who was still a hatchling inside, would be able to go at top speed.

_By the way,_ Drecor said. _What exactly are the Ra'zac and Lethrblaka?_

_The Letherblaka are dragon-like creatures with the wings of a bat and the beak of a crane. Their bodies are tough and leathery and their tails are thick and long. Their young, the Ra'zac, typically travel with a cloak over their back to hide their hideous monstrosity. Their backs are hunched and covered with wart-like growths. They have short, curved beaks that are serrated on the edges, and their eyes are small and beady. They have the endurance of an adult dragon, the strength of a lion, and the speed and agility of a cheetah. Their toxic breath paralyzes humans, but has little to no effect on dwarves, elves, or dragons. They only have a couple weaknesses which include extreme sensitivity to light and overconfidence._

A sound worse than fingernails on a blackboard nearly froze Sophie and Drecor in midair. Sophie immediately started dropping off supplies to lighten Drecor's load. This enabled him to reach the spot that he felt was some kind of safe-haven faster. Unfortunately, they again heard that awful screeching sound again, and this time it was much closer.

Sophie turned around to see what was making it was and was confronted with a sight more hideous than anything she could have imagined. A long, wicked-looking beak jutted from the ugly faces of the three Letherblaka. The Ra'zac were riding on them, adding clicks to the gut-wrenching cacophony of screeches. This noise made Sophie want to either go over and rip the six creatures to shreds or run for her life.

As the three pairs came closer and the pitch increased, Sophie jumped off Drecor's back, praying that God would turn her into a dragon so both she and Drecor could fly faster towards the safe haven. Drecor was surprised at the sudden loss of weight and was worried about what might happen to Sophie, but her prayers were answered and she turned into a large dragon; however, she felt a strong urge to turn around and fight the Ra'zac and Lethrblaka to the death.

_Don't you dare try that one too! _Drecor objected, _even the two of us could not overcome them without sever injuries_. Sophie knew he was right, but it was still hard to resist that urge.

After another hour of chase, just when Sophie thought she would have to respond to that fatal call, she and Drecor came to an enormous forest. Immediately, she and Drecor started falling, somehow losing their ability to fly. Fortunately, they were able to adjust their fall so that they would land just on the inside of the tree line.

"Ha! you can't hide in their forever, you ssssilly wretchessss!" came the terrifying answer to Sophie and Drecor's fall. It had obviously come from the Ra'zac since they were the only ones who could speak a form of English, but it sounded close, way too close.

_Whoosh!_ The Lethrblaka made a mock charge stopping just before the tree line, hoping to draw the pair back out of the woods. Sophie and Drecor only bolted further into the woods. Once all seemed safe, Sophie turned human again, sighing with relief as she leaned on Drecor for support.

_That was very brave of you, little one. Now let's try to get near another village where you can get something to eat before we travel any further,_ Drecor reminded Sophie gently. She knew he was right but was extremely tired after her first flight and rode on his back to the outskirts of the village.

Sophie started, realizing that she had fallen asleep. She looked vaguely around and memories flooded back about the portal, castle, and her escape with her dragon partner. She could sense a certain presence, similar to human, but not quite very close to them. Sophie realized it was probably the elves.

_Ah, you're awake!_ Drecor exulted. Sophie smiled as she remembered how she had flown on Drecor's back with such unity that she could still feel his life in her veins, as if the connection had always been there.

Sophie slipped off Drecor's back and cautiously approached the elven village, covering her curved ears and casting her face in a shadow with the hood of the cloak she had bought from the village where she bought supplies. Of course, the elves looked up even before she got to the edge of the place where they were staying.

At first, Sophie thought they were camping inside a circle of mangled trees, but then she realized that the trees had been sung into the shapes of houses. They were actually quite beautiful and had steps leading up the front. There were also bridges sung from the same trees so they could reach each other quickly without even touching the ground.

"Who goes there?" one of the elves asked cautiously. Sophie assumed that they didn't get many visitors. She stumbled and leaned against a tree to steady herself. That's when she first noticed a connection to them, as if they were old, long-lost friends that had not been seen or heard from in a long time.

"My name is Sophie, and I have sought refuge in this forest where my enemies apparently cannot come. They pursued me and my d-," she faltered, realizing that she had nearly given up too much information and then continued, rephrasing the statement, "for over an hour. I sensed someone nearby and hoped that I could buy some supplies." Sophie held her breath, daring to hope for assurance that it was safe for her and Drecor in these woods among the elves.

"We know who you were going to say, young one," another elf said, knowing that she had trapped Sophie.

Sophie smiled innocently, "I don't know what you're talking about. I have no one with me except these trees I have passed." She hoped that would be enough to deter any more questions.

"You were talking about Drecor, the last dragon hatchling. You are his rider, are you not?" Sophie realized she only had two options now: attack, making them suspect loyalty to Rancor, or tell them the truth about who she was and why she and Drecor were in the old forest.

Not wanting to be killed, Sophie slipped back into the edge of the woods towards Drecor. She sensed the elves were following her, so she set a pace that no human would be able to keep up with before she and Drecor could take off again. Unfortunately, elves are not human and they easily staid right behind her.

_So, you figured out how to deflect them, did you?_ Drecor asked with a chuckle.

_Oh, be quiet. All I did was ask for supplies, but for some reason they knew who we were, and now they are following me towards you!_ Sophie replied in alarm. Then she had an idea; what if Drecor moved away and she tried to cover his prints? No, that wouldn't work and now the elves were also in the tiny clearing where Drecor was supposed to be.

_Um, there's something I ought to tell you first,_ Drecor thought cautiously in a voice that Sophie knew meant trouble. As she turned to look at him, she saw that he had turned back into a hatchling.

_Oh great, now we definitely won't be able to run from them_, Sophie accidentally told Drecor. She quickly went towards him and stood by his side, hoping that together they would make enough of a fighting force to at least drive off the four, no five, other elves if they decided to turn hostile.

The oldest elf stepped forward, chuckling at the sight Sophie and Drecor made standing together. They looked ready to take on an entire army of Urgles or make peace, depending on the elves' approach.


	3. Chapter 3: The Elves

It's all right, just trust us, Bjartskular and Shur'tugal," the head elf reassured.

"Somehow I doubt people when they say 'trust me'," Sophie said. Smirking, she then added in the Ancient Language, "But since elves can't lie..."

If the elves were shocked to hear Sophie talking in the rarest language in Alagaesia, they did not show it. "It seems we've lost our manners. We haven't been properly introduced. My name is Silverleaf, and this is Ronderban, Ashta, Milktam, and Ealthin." Sophie smiled and started to relax as Silverleaf's musical voice enchanted her. She was still a little wary, though, since they knew she was a dragon rider before she entered their village.

Silverleaf and his friends led Sophie and Drecor back to their tree village. Sophie was still amazed at the intricacy of the elves' homes.

_I'm actually glad now that they already knew our identities,_ Drecor commented later after a supper of fruit, nuts, and berries. _Would you mind asking Silverleaf if I could hunt in this forest? Based on our dinner, they are vegetarians_.

"Excuse me, Silverleaf, this was a wonderful meal, but would you mind if Drecor hunted in these woods?" Sophie asked for him, hoping they would say yes.

"Why, of course! As long as you, Drecor, do not pollute the water, earth, or air with the blood of your kills, you may hunt here."

Sophie remembered that it was customary for only a dragon's rider to speak to him directly, "Oh, if you want to talk to him directly, you…can." Sophie paused, realizing that what she said was awkward to say the least. "I noticed that you… sung the trees into homes," Sophie said, hoping she would not have to explain how she knew the bond rule by telling the elves that she came from another world.

Drecor surprised Sophie by saying, _Don't worry, I won't give up your secret. I thought it was strange, though, that you knew exactly what kind of stance to take against elves: prepared for anything whether violent or diplomatic._

_I actually didn't, but just wanted to be prepared for anything,_ Sophie commented. Then she explained a bit about what the book series was but that she did not know what would happen in the last book, which was where they seemed to be.

Soon Drecor was off and Sophie, Silverleaf, and his companions sat around the fire, watching and waiting for what none of them knew. Finally, Sophie went to a clearing, wanting to be alone to attempt to understand the crazy events of the day and the fact that she may never go home again since she had no idea where and when the next portal to Earth would be.

_Home,_ Sophie thought,_ where is home? From a song, I think it's where the heart is, but where is mine?_ She spent a long time pondering what to do before she went back to the camp. Only Ronderban was awake, since he was on the first watch. The others were in such a trancelike state that Sophie assumed they were dozing while still being aware of everything around them.

Eventually Sophie fell asleep, dreaming about all the horrible things that could happen while she was asleep in this new, troubling world.


	4. Chapter 4: Drecor

Drecor crouched low, watching a large fawn graze at the edge of the heard. _Deer are so strange_, he thought. _They never protect their young. Oh well, all the more for me_. Drecor swooped in from his tree roost, scattering the heard. The fawn dropped into the grass, terrified, but Drecor landed heavily on its back and snapped its neck. Once satisfied, he flew lazily back to his human on a full stomach.

Drecor came back just a little after Sophie dozed off and, sensing her sleepy turmoil, lay down by her side. He dreamed of fierce battles and a shiny, star-metal sword. At the center of these dreams was another dragon-human pair, but they were much older. The she-dragon, though, was quite breathtaking, her sapphire hide shimmering in the sunlight.

Drecor started, sensing something was off. He stayed still so he wouldn't wake his companion, but quickly realized his mistake. Sophie was thrashing around and had already kicked him in the belly and wing. He carefully nudged her, worried that she would hurt herself.

Finally, Sophie woke up and Drecor asked her, _what was troubling you so? You were thrashing around so much I was afraid you would hurt yourself._

Confused, Sophie said _I was having the worst nightmares. They were even worse than my dot dream series and please don't ask about that. I can only remember the last one, and that is too horrible to remember after those dreams. _Drecor also understood and realized that the pointy-eared elves were also up, but minding their own business.

_Well, they can be sure that was the right choice. _Drecor thought, being careful to hide that from Sophie, whom he knew was turning into something like an elf.

_Do you know why this place seemed like a safe haven for us?_ Drecor asked the elves directly.

The elves talked to themselves so quietly even Drecor could only catch a few words. Finally, it seemed they had reached a decision. Ashta responded, "I think I can answer that. There are certain spells protecting this forest set up during the Dragon Wars." Drecor shivered, knowing that during those wars many dragons and elves had been killed, eggs destroyed, and the landscape ravaged. He nodded to affirm the elf should continue. "These spells prevent anyone from entering the forest through the use of magic. These might have attracted you to prevent one of the last pairs of dragon riders from being brought under Rancor's control. You need to start your training as soon as possible, and you should wait to leave this forest until the danger has passed. The best thing to do right now is to go to our capital where Queen Islanzadí can protect you."

_What do you think?_ Sophie asked Drecor. He pondered this for a while, weighing all of the possibilities. He knew it could still prove to be dangerous and he was not large enough to handle all of the elves at once. He could spit gobbles fire, but if the elves wanted to hurt them, they would have done so already.

_All right, but we need to set conditions so that we can escape if they turn hostile once we get to their capital._ Sophie nodded and lifted her chin, "All right, but we will make our own, separate camp space. We will have full access to your records and training facilities. If provoked, we will aim to kill." The elves merely nodded and accepted the conditions, and Drecor rumbled in satisfaction.


	5. Chapter 5: Journey to Ellesmera

**I'm actually beginning to realize how religious I made this sound. I wrote the first… 116 pages (didn't log the chapter numbers) a couple years ago. If it makes you uncomfortable, let me know and I'll start changing how I word things.**

Sophie was soon reminded that she needed to know how to paddle a canoe when she, the elves, and Drecor reached the Edda River. She was a fast learner and was soon paddling along the river, helping the others steer the boat in the front. She had already been kayaking in San Pedro, so she generally knew how to steer. The problem was trying to steer with _four other people!_ After bumping into a couple logs and nearly upsetting the canoe more than a few times, Sophie finally got the hang of it.

Sophie also was reminded that elves laughed often when a friendly dragon was around. She started to get a little jealous, though, since Drecor was getting all the compliments on what she knew were pretty basic maneuvers.

"So, how long has it been since you've seen a dragon?" Sophie asked, still curious about this ancient race. They pondered this to the point where Sophie thought they would not bother answering her question; however, they eventually said that it had been about ninety years since they last saw a dragon other than Saphira and Drecor. For the longest time they just sat paddling upriver until nightfall; fortunately, Drecor and the elves could see very well in the dark. But Sophie could barely see the outlines of things, much less the log that nearly caused the canoe to capsize. With powers she had no idea she possessed, Sophie forced the log out of the way with a mere flick of her hand.

Everyone sat rigid for a moment, allowing them to drift downstream a bit, but also onto the shore. Sophie thought she might know what had done but had no idea that it was possible, much less how she did it.

"I did not know you had magic, Silver hand," Silverleaf commented in the Ancient Language. Sophie had no idea how to answer that, and Drecor certainly wasn't helping because he was just as amazed as the elves were.

Finally, Sophie merely responded, "Look, I don't know what I just did, but I do know this; what I did was not magic, for I do not believe in magic nor do I wish to learn and practice it." It sounded harsh even to her, but it got the point across; if they wanted to believe in petty little magic, they could; however, she refused and would always refuse to oppose it with all that was in her.

_Does that mean you oppose me? Whenever I breathe fire I use subconscious magic,_ Drecor commented a little heatedly. Sophie wondered if this was from God, because her parents had told her many times that a union between a Christian and an unsaved man was unacceptable. Even then, Sophie was human and Drecor was a dragon; however, Sophie found impressed to remain in this union as long as Drecor did.

_I didn't mean I oppose you, but only your beliefs. You are what humans consider atheists, who are people who only believe in themselves and that there is no higher being over them. I am a Christian and believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior, the Son of the Living and Only God._ Sophie tried to explain. Drecor got the message, but didn't comment on what he thought about it. Sophie knew enough about him by now, though, that she knew he was still annoyed with her.

Suddenly, a thought came to Sophie. Could it be? It had to be, but she thought it wasn't possible, but then again, she had just dropped her definition of possible. _Do you think I could have bended the log to the side?_ Sophie asked.

_What is bending? You weren't touching it, and you said you weren't using magic…_ Drecor pointed out.

_Oh! Bending is where you… uh… I don't know how to really explain it, but it's where you… will something to move, and it appears to move on its own. It's kind of like magic, except different. I know that sounds confusing, but…_

_That's all right!_ Drecor interrupted. _I think I've got an idea of what you're talking about. I happened to come across some of the things you watched on… what was it? Oh, that's right, TV or television. _

Sophie realized that the elves had started to set up camp for the evening when suddenly they all heard a seductive singing coming from the north. She felt it pulling at her, and she heard more than saw animals scurrying about, seeming to look for mates.

_No, it couldn't be, could it?_ Sophie asked herself, forgetting for a moment that Drecor shared her thoughts. _Oh, sorry Drecor, I was just talking… thinking… to myself. I think this is the ceremony, I forget its name, where the elves celebrate the hundreds of years that have passed since the peace treaty with the dragons so long ago._

_Oh, why don't you ask them? Maybe they will tell… us… why the… _Drecor slowly began swaying toward the music. It was all Sophie could do to try and hold him back with a rock wall that kept on breaking under his weight. She soon realized that she was bending in order to build and rebuild this wall, but she didn't care; she would do anything to keep Drecor from being seen by elves that would most likely be hostile to him.

"Oh no, I must have miscalculated the days until Agaetí Blödhren," Silverleaf seemed worriedly. Sophie had a feeling that he was talking about the ceremony that she had just described to Drecor.

"That's the ceremony that's held in celebration of the hundreds of years that have passed since the peace treaty with the dragons, right." Sophie confirmed. Everyone knew that she knew the answer to that, but she needed to ask it just to make sure.

"Yes, but how did you know that? I suppose you read… no, observed that too," Ashta said sarcastically, a trait Sophie didn't know elves possessed.

Well, what was Sophie supposed to say to that? She was already intoxicated with the music and wanted to spill the whole story out, right from the time that she entered this beautiful place through a portal in her closet. They might not know what a closet was, but she thought they might have them.

Sophie looked over at Drecor for help, but he was still so intoxicated that he didn't even notice and was heading over northward towards the singing. Sophie finally managed to stop him with a wall of solid diamond, but she still had that stinging question to answer.

"Actually, I did read it from several Chronicles of the Elves," Sophie said, surprising herself. She thought that maybe the elves might ask her to repeat that in the Ancient Language in which no creature, no matter their race, can lie. Fortunately, Ashta just shrugged and let it go after a hidden warning glance from Silverleaf and Ronderban.

That night, no one slept; Sophie and Drecor because the sounds of the animals scurrying about kept them awake and Silverleaf, Ashta, and Ronderban because they were taking turns keeping watch to make sure nothing came towards or left the camp. Finally, the sun in its brilliance came up through the trees and they started out on the last leg of their journey.

Sophie and the others were all extremely careful now partially because they were getting closer to the capital, Ellesmera, but mainly because the Agaetí Blödhren had started.

For a few days, they followed the same pattern, following the river north. On this last leg, Sophie gradually noticed a change in her diet, sleep, hair and eye color, and even bone structure. She knew from the book she had read that human dragon riders usually became sharper in their features, but never this quickly or to this extent. It usually took months, sometimes even a year just for their ears to develop a slight point at the tip; however, Sophie was noticing that she was becoming more and more elf-like than anyone about which she had ever heard or read.

When they stopped for lunch, Sophie took Drecor off to the side and asked him about the strange changes occurring. Having no explanation, Drecor could only suggest asking the elves. Sophie did not feel very comfortable with this, though, so they headed back. While they ate lunch, Sophie realized that she could listen to the stories leaves rustling in the non-existent wind were telling her of times passed, when dragons, elves, and dwarves predominately lived in Alagaesia. They also told her of when humans first came to this land and of the different wars until it was time to continue their journey.

Now feeling confident in her abilities, Sophie decided to have a little bit of fun with the elves. She asked, "Do you guys want to race to Braïden Ridge? I have a good feeling about today."

The elves looked at her, astonished, but Ashta readily accepted her challenge. "On one condition, though," he commented. "You can't have any help from your dragon partner, and we will not stop until three of us, or just you, stop."

"It's a deal," Sophie said recklessly before Silverleaf could object to the first rule. Soon they were off, and Sophie even surprised herself at an amazing speed of 39 miles per hour, putting her ahead of the elves for a little while, who had thought they could go slower since they were racing against a human. Suddenly, Sophie sensed Ashta or Ronderban wanted to pass her; she immediately sped up to keep that from happening along with jeers that would push her beyond her tolerance limits, which she was physically doing anyway.

Finally, Sophie, Silverleaf, Ashta, and Ronderban reached a lake that Sophie was running too fast to stop before the edge of; instead, she pushed forward even more and ran right across the surface! That left the elves in a flurry; they had stopped at the edge, astonished at the sight of her practically flying across the water's surface. Ashta was the first to start back, then forward again to gain enough momentum to do the same thing Sophie did and the other two were right behind him.

A few miles before Braïden Ridge, the elves began to slow down; Sophie wondered what was going on, but soon found out why the elves stopped. A huge, gaping ravine that appeared in front of her was too close for her to stop! She immediately earth bended a bridge that would barely hold her weight for the seconds it would take to cross; unfortunately, this too failed and she stopped in the middle as the bridge crumbled. She raced back across just as the bridge collapsed and she sent it into the walls of the ravine to protect who-knew-what was down there.

After she caught her breath, Sophie got down on her stomach, right next to the edge of her side of the ravine, and gasped at what she saw beneath her; there were hundreds, if not millions, of Eldunari and dragon eggs! She was amazed for she had thought that the only Eldunari left were in Galvatorix's possession and Drecor hatched from the last dragon egg.

Suddenly, Sophie felt Drecor approaching so rapidly it seemed as if he was at the speed of light; she then waited until he landed so he could watch her descend the walls.

_What were you thinking? I knew the race was a bad idea,_ Drecor scolded lightly. All the same, Sophie knew he was only concerned about her welfare. She hid from him, however, what she was about to do so he could not pin her down to keep her from going.

Sophie quickly and quietly started the descent into the enormous ravine that was just barely wide enough for her and her bag to get through, much less Drecor who had grown to nearly double his original size in the past week. She soon reached the bottom, being careful not to step on the Eldunari and eggs that littered most of the floor.

_Well done, we were hoping you would eventually find us down here. How did we know that you were in this forest? Well, we itch whenever another magical or peculiar creature comes near us and you and your partner, Drecor, are very peculiar indeed,_ commented one of the male Eldunari. Sophie was surprised, as any human would be, at what the dragon trapped inside his heart of hearts said.

_It's an honor to meet you, Bjartskular. I always hoped Drecor wasn't the last egg to hatch and the Eldunari in Galvatorix's possession weren't the only Eldunari left in Alagaesia,_ Sophie answered hopefully. She knew how special this was, to have the very knowledge of this place was so intriguing she nearly stepped on one of the eggs! She quickly apologized and that was when something truly amazing happened; the eldest Eldunari asked her to take him and some others with her on her journey.

Sophie accepted, honored, and took a few Eldunari and a single dragon egg with her. She quickly said good-bye and started the assent, but not before they showed her some clothes that were from her time that she could have a clean change of clothes. She soon saw Drecor who was clawing at the entrance, alarming Sophie to the fact that some of the falling stones might harm the eggs or Eldunari.

Eventually Sophie made it to the top, taking more time than getting down, avoiding falling rocks and smooth places without hand or footholds. _There are some important friends who are joining us for the remainder of our journey through life_, Sophie told Drecor, revealing a little but no too much. Drecor was curious, but that was soon sated when the Eldunari and baby dragon talked to him and made him swear in the Ancient Language not to tell anyone about this place or about them unless they gave him permission.

Sophie, Drecor, and their new friends soon made it back to the elves who were setting up a campsite, looking up only to make sure it was only Sophie and Drecor coming towards them.

"Where are your new friends? We can sense them, you know," Ashta challenged Sophie. Sophie wasn't sure how to explain until one of the Eldunari told her what to do.

"We did meet up with some nice creatures whose names we swore not to tell since they are a… secretive race," Barnack, the Eldunari, said through Sophie. Ashta and Ronderban shrugged and accepted this answer since; after all, the elves were a secretive race too.

In the morning, Sophie got up early to take a walk, leaving the Eldunari and dragon egg behind to have some peace and quiet time that she had not had since she entered Alagaesia. She considered all that had happened including the fact that she may never be able to return home. "Home," Sophie thought to herself. "What an interesting word. I know it's where the heart is, but where does mine lie?" She spent some time contemplating this troubling thought until the dark time right before dawn.

Sophie was about to start back when she felt her skin begin to itch like the Eldunari mentioned they did whenever some fabulous being came near. She cautiously looked around; not truly knowing what might be out there; suddenly, she saw it! It was a beautiful, snow-white unicorn with a silver horn that seemed to glow. She cautiously approached it and said, "Unicorn, what brings you here to this world, or are there more of you here?" The unicorn seemed surprised and Sophie realized that she had been speaking in tongues, apparently the unicorns'; it seemed odd, though, that she understood what she was saying since normally you don't and only the Holy Spirit knows.

"I am here as the Guardian of Mysteries," the unicorn stated simply, expecting to Sophie to know what that was. "My name is Laughingbrook and my race left this world a long time ago, even before we left yours," the unicorn said, surprising Sophie to the point where she was breathless.

"How do you know where I come from?" Sophie eventually asked suspiciously. She touched Laughingbrook's shoulder so they could talk mind-to-mind like she had read about in _The Unicorn Chronicles_.

Sophie and Laughingbrook talked until the sun started to rise when Sophie realized how long she had been gone and told Laughingbrook that she needed to head back to where the rest of her friends were waiting. Laughingbrook understood, and they parted; Sophie going back to the campsite and Laughingbrook to the unicorn city of Farthenbech.

Sophie soon reached the camp where the elves and Drecor were already up, busy wrapping up camp.

"And where did you go on your walk through Du Weldenvarden?" Ashta asked sarcastically. Sophie had unfortunately forgotten that elves did not sleep; they merely went into a waking-sleep where they were aware of their surroundings but were still dreaming. Sophie just ignored Ashta and started to pack her few things into a bag separate from the one she was using to hold the Eldunari and dragon eggs.

Soon, they were off and Sophie could sense they were getting closer to Ellesmera, the capital, every minute and that made her both nervous and excited. Fortunately, she didn't have to explain her mixed feelings to Drecor since she could sense he felt the same way. Sophie didn't even know why she was feeling nervous since the elves were probably going to be able to explain much and she would probably be able to see and maybe even talk to the special tree she had read about in the second book of the _Inheritance Cycle_.


End file.
